Plum Island Star Plays The Lion's Game in New Thriller
Written: Aug 04 '00 (Updated Feb 21 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting plot and characters, good pacing
Cons: Not enough surprises
The Bottom Line: A fun read, perfect for the beach or a snowy weekend.
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| DKellyU's Full Review: Nelson Demille - The Lion's Game |
Fans of John Corey, author Nelson DeMille's crusty detective-hero in the best-selling Plum Island, will welcome his reappearance in DeMille's new book, The Lion's Game.
As Plum Island came to a close, Corey was teaching criminal justice at John Jay University and was on the verge of pursuing a romantic relationship with his partner in crime-solving, Beth Penrose. Here, Beth is still "sort of" in his life, but he's taken a sabbatical from his assistant-professorship to sign on as a contract agent in the Mideast section of the federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force. Partnered with Kate Mayfield, a younger woman with a senior rank, Corey's first assignment is to bring in the suspected terrorist flying into JFK International Airport on a commercial 747, in the custody of two FBI agents.
Unbeknownst to Corey and Mayfield, employees manning the airport observation tower have been unable to establish radio contact with the plane. They're immediately suspicious, but not especially alarmed. There are many reasons, most of them benign, why a plane might lose contact. Choosing to err on the side of safety, the tower reports the situation to the proper authorities and emergency-landing preparations are put into effect.
Once the plane is on the ground, it becomes clear that the 747's NO-RAD (no radio contact) status was anything but benign. A tragedy of immense magnitude has occurred. It's up to Corey, Mayfield and their cohorts to nab the perpetrator before his reign of terror spreads.
As always, DeMille's characters are realistic and multidimensional. John Corey is particularly well fleshed-out. His strengths -- razor-sharp intelligence and wit -- and his weaknesses -- an obnoxious streak, fear of commitment -- come together to form a delightfully quirky character who has the potential to carry a whole series of novels.
In Lion's Game, Kate Mayfield and her relationship with Corey parallel a little too closely with that of Plum Island's Beth and her romance with Corey. Both women are similarly serious-minded professionals who alternately find themselves impressed and exasperated with Corey, until he ultimately wins them over. However, Kate is likable enough that this minor flaw can easily be overlooked.
It's not until more than 100 pages in that we meet the antagonistic Lion of the book's title (he'll remain otherwise nameless). To say that he's a frightening character is an understatement. Indeed, this is a man whose instincts are as animalistic as they are steeped in human hatred. What makes him so frightening isn't just the darkness that drives his obsession to hunt down and exact revenge on those who, in the course of a single act, changed his life forever, but the single-minded and methodical intensity with which he acts out his plan. His vengeance is more than a quest for justice; it is his sustenance.
While Lion's Game isn't as thrilling a thriller as books by other masters of the genre, and DeMille hasn't lived up to the talent for surprise twists here that he demonstrated in The General's Daughter, the plot does move along at a pace that keeps the reader fully engaged. That in itself is a major achievement, considering the book's heft; it weighs in at a whopping 677 pages. Unlike some supersized blockbuster thrillers of recent years, this one has little it doesn't need.
Lion's Game can't be considered this deservedly-popular author's best work. But it is an enjoyable, satisfying read, smartly told alternately from John Corey's and the Lion's points of view. And, not unimportantly, it's good for more than a few out-loud laughs thanks to DeMille having imbued Corey with a wicked, offbeat, and often ill-timed sense of humor.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
DKellyU
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Member: Daria Kelly-Uhlig
Location: Stroudsburg, PA
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 7 members
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